Design of Games

1. Design of Games “rules, play, culture” Salen and Zimmerman

2. Environment of game development • Game design is changing • new designers are educated, not self-taught - ludology • vocabulary of game design is developing but still incomplete • gaming is getting respect as a legitimate art form (== movies or sculpture) and medium (== TV, radio, press) • http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/clash_Oct04.php Matt Sakey COSC 4126 Game design intro

3. Film studies at U of Michigan F/V 190: Freshman Seminar F/V 230: Introduction to the Moving Image F/V 236/RC Hums. 236: The Art of the Film F/V 340: Writing Film Criticism F/V 350: The History of American Film F/V 360: The History of World Film F/V 361/WS 361: Women and Film F/V 365: Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Television F/V 366: Topics in Film, Television and Popular Culture F/V 370: Television History F/V 399: Independent Study F/V 412/Engl 412: Major Directors F/V 413/Engl 413: Studies in Film Genre and Types F/V 414: Film Theory and Criticism F/V 420: Documentary Film F/V 422: Topics in Avant-Garde Film F/V 440/CAAS 442: African Cinema F/V 441: National Cinemas F/V 442: Third World Cinema F/V 450: Television Theory and Criticism F/V 451/Amer Cult 490: American Film Genres F/V 455: Topics in Film Studies F/V 460: Technology & Moving Image: Sound on Film F/V 461: Explorations in Feminist Film Theory F/V 470/CAAS 470: Cultural Issues in Cinema F/V 480: Internship F/V 490: Senior Honors Research F/V 500: Directed Study in Film and Video Production Courses F/V 200: Introduction to Film, Video and Television ProductionF/V 300: Filmmaking IF/V 301: Video Art IF/V 302: Television Studio IF/V 310: ScreenwritingF/V 311: Writing for TelevisionF/V 400: Filmmaking IIF/V 401: Video Art IIF/V 402: Television Studio IIF/V 404: Interdisciplinary Collaborations in Visual MediaF/V 405: Computer Animation IF/V 406: Computer Animation IIF/V 410: Screenwriting IIF/V 417: Screenwriting Master ClassF/V 427: Screenwriting III COSC 4126 Game design intro

4. The Guildhall – SMU, Dallas TX Core Courses Examples of content addressed in the Game Study courses include: • Elements of gameplay • Story telling • Game design • Game engine overview • AI and user interface design • Game planning • Game development • Team dynamics for game development • Game asset managment • Project management for games • The business of game development • Level design basics • Testing and debugging games COSC 4126 Game design intro

5. The Guildhall – SMU, Dallas TX Specialized Courses Art Creation Specialization (courses omitted) Level Design Specialization In addition to the shared courses, students in this area of specialization complete courses in level design for 2D and 3D games, level editing, and advanced seminars in level design. Examples of content addressed in this portion of the curriculum include: Genre analysis, styles, and limitations Audience and game analysis Gameplay principles for 2D and 3D games Story development for 2D and 3D games Character AI and scripting for 2D and 3D games Art assets and lighting in 2D and 3D level design Principles of classic architecture in level design Principles of sound in level design Play testing principles for 2D and 3D games Principles of immersion for games Inspiration and creativity in level design Optimization techniques for efficient level design Visibility Designing game terrain/outdoor environments Level editing techniques Software Development Specialization (courses omitted) COSC 4126 Game design intro

6. The Guildhall – SMU, Dallas TX • Course Descriptions • Game Study • Art Creation • Life Drawing • Level Design and Editing • Art for Level Design • Software Development • Math and Physics for Games • Game Development Practicums COSC 4126 Game design intro

7. Salen and ZimmermanRules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals organization by ‘schemas’ minimal organizing structure 8 core concepts e.g., interactivity 11 rules schemas e.g., systems of conflict 7 play schemas e.g., play of meaning 5 culture schemas e.g., cultural resistance COSC 4126 Game design intro

8. Core concepts • meaningful play • design • systems √ • interactivity √ • defining games • defining computer games • magic circle • primary schema – rules, play, culture COSC 4126 Game design intro

9. 1. Meaningful play • descriptive analysis: • factual definition of what happens in game • player action relates to system response • evaluative analysis: • judging effectiveness of action-response to create emotional experience • discernable – responses are apparent to player (Suchman) • integrated – response has influence on further play and outcome COSC 4126 Game design intro

10. Salen and Zimmerman, p.34 • “Meaningful play occurs when the relationships between actions and outcomes in a game are both discernable and integrated into the larger context of the game. Creating meaningful play is the goal of successful game design.” COSC 4126 Game design intro

11. Discernability examples • war game on large map with small portion showing: attack off-screen is not discernible • managing cursor motion at screen edge • wrap, stop or bounce are discernible • continuing off screen is not discernible COSC 4126 Game design intro

12. Integration • chess – move effects state of game far into future play • without a point system, individual sports would not be integrated into a decathlon COSC 4126 Game design intro

13. Discernability and Integration • earlier description: • Formal Abstract Design Tools • Doug Church, Gamasutra, June 16, 1999 • ‘perceivable consequence’ • discernibility • ‘intention’ – making a plan based on current situation and understanding of play options COSC 4126 Game design intro

14. 2. Defining Games • no standard definition • features proposed by various writers: • rules that limit players • conflict • goal orientation • activity • involves decision-making • absorbing but not serious • not associated with material gain • artificial / safe • outside ordinary life • creates social groups • voluntary • uncertainty • make-believe / representational • inefficient • system of parts, resources, tokens • art form COSC 4126 Game design intro

15. Salen and Zimmerman: • “A game is a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome.” p.80 • some games stretch the boundaries: • do RPGs have quantifiable outcome? • is a puzzle a game? COSC 4126 Game design intro

16. Digital games • traits of digital technology • immediate but narrow interactivity interface design • information manipulation graphics, audio, hidden/revealed data • automated complex systems Sims, war-gaming • networked communication distributed games, player interaction COSC 4126 Game design intro

17. The Magic Circle • games exist within a magic circle with an explicit boundary • players agree to be in the magic circle – the lusory attitude – so play can occur • within the circle, rules create special meanings (for symbols, tokens, actions) that guide play • as a rule system, a game is closed • as a play system, a game is open / closed • as a culture system, a game is open COSC 4126 Game design intro